The next day, February 1st, Nicole avoided the paparazzi and picked up Linton to return to the manor, only to find even more paparazzi at the manor's entrance. Linton ignored them.
Upon returning to the manor, he asked his housekeeper, Amy, to bring him the day's newspapers.
As expected, there were even more reports about his film today, and predictably, they were all negative.
However, one tabloid called "Entertainment New Force" praised Linton, with the front-page headline: "Linton, From Pop Star to Director, Writing a New Legend."
The article first reviewed the immense achievements Linton had made in his singing career in less than a year.
Each of the three singles he released sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and his debut album's global sales exceeded 20 million copies.
Moreover, all the songs were self-composed, truly a Genius and a representative of the American Dream.
It also introduced Linton as a recent graduate of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, majoring in directing, who excelled academically during his university years.
Now, Linton is self-funding his film as a director, realizing his film dream. This shows he hasn't forgotten his original aspiration and has immense self-confidence.
They believe he will also succeed in his film career and look forward to "step up" being a box office hit.
It was all praise, making Linton feel a little embarrassed.
Linton saw Amy looking curious beside him and asked, "Do you have any questions?"
Amy asked with a hint of embarrassment, "Boss, how much did we pay 'Entertainment New Force' newspaper? They're speaking so highly of us."
"You might not believe it, but I didn't give them a single penny. Perhaps they want to be unconventional to attract more attention."
"Oh, not a single penny." But Amy's disbelieving expression betrayed her true thoughts.
Linton didn't care. Whether they spoke well or ill, all this hype would help him increase his fame and aid his Cultivate.
And no matter what, "step up" got free publicity.
At 9:30 AM, Linton arrived at a music company called "Sunshine Music," following the address Daniel had given him.
Since it was the weekend, the company was quiet. Presumably, to maintain secrecy, the on-duty staff had been sent away. Daniel led Linton directly to the recording studio, which was well-equipped and had advanced facilities.
Inside, there was only a sound engineer, a keyboardist, and a white girl, just over 1.6 meters tall, dressed like a country singer in a plain shirt and jeans. Calling her a 'girl' wasn't quite right, as she appeared older than him.
This must be the new female singer Daniel found. She was quite pretty, but wasn't she a bit too old?
"Linton, this is Shania Twain, from Canada. Her voice is very distinctive and perfect for R&B. I think she'd be especially suitable for singing the songs you wrote. Would you like her to sing a section for you?"
Linton's heart skipped a beat. Shania Twain! This was one of the best-selling female singers in later generations. What incredible luck did Daniel have to find her?
But he remained composed, nodding.
"Okay, let's start."
Boy, no matter what we go through, you step up, I'll step up too…
As soon as the girl opened her mouth, Linton knew that Shania Twain perfectly met his requirements.
He just wondered why, with such a good voice, she was still an unknown.
"Excellent, very well sung. Your voice is very distinctive and moving." After listening to the song, Linton applauded.
"Please sing all four songs," Linton added.
Shania then sang "80's Joint," "Till The Dawn," and "You Must Be." Although still a bit unfamiliar, her voice quality and tone were excellent, and the singing was very pleasant.
"Congratulations, Daniel, you've found a very promising singer. Nurture her well, and she will become a top-tier singer."
"You agree?"
"Of course, she's perfect for these songs, and she's your person. Why wouldn't I agree?"
"Great, great, great! With these four songs of yours, and the four duets with you, I believe she'll become famous very quickly."
Daniel was overjoyed. After speaking, he called Shania out and introduced her to Linton.
To his surprise, Shania was so excited that she hugged Linton tightly. "Linton, you're my idol! So happy to meet you."
"I'm happy to meet you too. From now on, we're colleagues and friends," Linton said, a little awkwardly.
"Did I sing well just now?" Shania nervously asked Linton.
Linton and Daniel were in the outer room of the recording studio, so those inside couldn't hear their conversation.
"Very well. Your voice is very distinctive and moving, well-suited for R&B. These songs were also sung beautifully, but you still need to practice the details."
"Thank you, I will practice diligently. I heard these songs were composed by you. Can I sing them?"
"I have no objection, but Daniel will decide who sings them."
"Okay, let's discuss it in the office," Daniel said, then led them both to an unmarked office.
"Shania, you know about Linton's plan to make a movie, right?" Daniel asked Shania Twain.
"I saw many newspapers report on it this morning."
"These songs were prepared by Linton for the film, and we are looking for a suitable singer.
Since Linton has approved you, you will sing them. In fact, there are also four duet songs with Linton, and you will sing those as well.
I'll give you the songs later. Practice well during this time; this is a huge opportunity, and you'll become famous overnight. You must seize it."
"Thank you, Boss! Thank you, Linton! I will practice diligently and deliver the best performance."
"You can go now. Also, when you go back, ask Susie to rent you a better apartment. A good living environment also helps with singing. I'll tell her."
"Thank you." Shania clenched her fists and happily walked out of the office.
"How about it, isn't the person I found good?" Daniel asked Linton proudly.
"She's indeed good, but it's strange. Logically, with such a good voice and decent looks, why hasn't this girl debuted yet? Oh, she must be quite old, right?"
"She was born in '65, so she's already 27. But luckily, she's a singer, so age isn't the most critical factor. If she were acting in films or TV, there would definitely be no hope of her becoming a big star."
"She's Canadian, had musical talent since childhood, and has always pursued music. However, her family was poor, and opportunities in Canada are scarce, so she never made a name for herself.
She came to the United States two years ago to develop her career but never got a good opportunity. You should know that the market for female singers is severely oversaturated now. Without a powerful record company pushing her, helping her choose and commission songs, and if she doesn't have excellent songwriting abilities herself, it's very difficult for a female singer to succeed.
Do you believe that if your songs were openly auditioned at Universal, at least 1,000 people would sign up within three days, and countless people with connections would come knocking?"
"Some time ago, one of my employees discovered her and thought she had great potential, so he introduced her to me.
After hearing her sing, I indeed thought she was good, so I signed her. And now, you need a suitable female singer, so her opportunity has arrived."
"Daniel, it's no problem for her to sing the songs in my movie, but I'm a Universal artist, and she's signed with Sunshine Music, right?
If I write songs and have someone from outside Universal sing them, will Universal agree?
Also, when the album is produced and released, will there be any legal issues?"
"There won't be any problems. Sunshine Music is actually a music company under Universal. All of Sunshine Music's musical works are distributed by Universal."
"But they are still not the same company, right? Who will be the main entity producing the movie soundtrack album, Universal or Sunshine Music?" Linton felt it was better to clarify.
"If possible, it's best to be Sunshine Music."
"But I have a contract with Universal, and the contract stipulates that the songs I sing can only be produced and distributed by Universal, right?"
"That's true. Actually, there's a solution. Since Sunshine Music is a music company under Universal, this album can be co-produced by Universal and Sunshine Music.
I'll arrange the specific operations, guaranteeing there will be no legal risks.
However, if other Universal executives ask you in the future why you chose her as the female singer, you must strongly support Shania, saying that her voice moved you and that she is the most suitable candidate."
"Can I consult my lawyer?" Linton was still a little worried.
"Of course. I remember your contract with Universal doesn't stipulate that you cannot write songs for artists from other companies.
So, contact your lawyer now and ask him to come over immediately to clarify any legal issues. We'll sign the song authorization contract as soon as possible to avoid any complications."
Linton called Goodman, gave him the address, and asked him to come over immediately.
He also notified Nicole to go home and retrieve his contract with Universal.
Daniel also called Sunshine Music's lawyer and Shania to come over, preparing to sign the song authorization contract.
After Goodman arrived, Linton explained the situation in detail, asking if Daniel's proposed plan would involve any legal risks.
Goodman asked for specific details and carefully reviewed Linton's contract with Universal. He finally concluded that there were no issues and no legal risks.
Shania, who had been notified to sign the song authorization contract, also arrived from home, accompanied by her agent, Susie.
This time, she was clearly meticulously dressed in a golden gown, looking radiant and very beautiful.
Since there were no legal risks, Linton readily authorized Shania Twain of Sunshine Music to perform all four female solo songs and the female parts of the four duets.
Both parties signed the authorization contract. In this contract, the songwriters' royalties followed the industry standard of six percent each, totaling twelve percent.
However, for the song "Ain't Cha" performed by the male group, Linton and Daniel felt it was more appropriate to give it to Universal. They didn't want to overdo things, and the song's quality was also mediocre.
By the time all this was settled, it was already 4 PM. Lunch was also a quick takeout in the office.
After signing the contract, Shania was so excited that she hugged her agent, Susie, singing and dancing, then hugged Linton and spontaneously kissed him.
"This is great! I'm so grateful to you both. Don't worry, I'll definitely sing my best."
Daniel was also exceptionally excited, happily opening a bottle of champagne to celebrate.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers! Happy cooperation."
Linton also reminded Daniel to settle the first installment of the album's income as soon as possible. The film was about to start full production, and he didn't have much cash left in his account.
After receiving the song authorization contract, Daniel had already elevated Linton to his closest partner and most steadfast ally.
He readily agreed that the settlement date would not be later than February 10th, asking Linton to arrange for his accountant to come over as soon as possible to audit and reconcile the accounts.
He declined Daniel's invitation to celebrate at a nightclub that evening. He still had to go back to practice singing and dancing. There was no other way; time was too tight.
However, before leaving, Daniel suggested that to speed up the recording of the film's songs, Shania and Linton should go back and practice together.
Linton initially wanted to refuse. He had no intention of engaging in any 'under-the-table' rules, and besides, Shania was still an unknown, offering no help to his Cultivate.
But with Daniel's enthusiasm and Shania's initiative, he still let Shania get into his Rolls-Royce. Oh well, consider it an investment in cultivating an excellent 'tripod'.